Allerford

{{Short description|Village in Somerset, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox UK place

|country = England

|static_image_name= Allerford bridge.jpg

|static_image_alt=Narrow stone bridge over water. In the background are houses and trees.

|static_image_caption=The packhorse bridge

|coordinates = {{coord|51.2161|-3.5691|display=inline,title}}

|official_name= Allerford

|population=

|civil_parish= Selworthy

|unitary_england = Somerset

|lieutenancy_england = Somerset

|region = South West England

|constituency_westminster= Tiverton and Minehead

|post_town= MINEHEAD

|postcode_district = TA24

|postcode_area= TA

|dial_code= 01643

|os_grid_reference=SS905475

}}

Allerford is a village in the county of Somerset, England, located within Exmoor National Park, and is part of the parish of Selworthy. It appears in Domesday Book as "Alresford – forda Ralph de Limesy Mill".

The parish was part of the hundred of Carhampton.{{cite web|title=Carhampton Hundred |url=http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/hundred/carhampton/ |work=Domesday Map |accessdate=23 September 2011 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008052003/http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/hundred/carhampton/ |archivedate=8 October 2012 }}

One of the village's main attractions is the much-photographed packhorse bridge. Built as a crossing over the River Aller (from which the village gets its name), it is thought to be medieval in origin.{{NHLE |num=1058014 |desc=Packhorse Bridge |accessdate=5 January 2008}}{{NHLE|desc=Packhorse Bridge at NGR SS 9051 4691|num=1058014|accessdate=15 May 2016}} Nearby is the New Bridge where the A39 road crosses Horner Water. The {{convert|18|ft|m}} wide pointed arch rises {{convert|8|ft|m}} with a {{convert|4|ft|m}} span half arch on the side for flood relief.{{cite book|last1=Hinchliffe|first1=Ernest|title=Guide to the Packhorse Bridges of England|date=1994|publisher=Cicerone|isbn=978-1852841430|page=145}} Originally the bridge was {{convert|12|ft|m}} wide but another {{convert|6|ft|m}} was added in 1866.{{cite book|last=Otter|first=R.A.|title=Civil Engineering Heritage: Southern England|publisher=Thomas Telford Ltd|location=London|year=1994|pages=93|isbn=978-0-7277-1971-3}} The packhorse bridge is an Ancient monument and has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register.{{cite web|title=Allerford packhorse bridge, immediately north of Cross Lane Farm, Selworthy, West Somerset - Exmoor (NP)|url=http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=38360|work=Heritage at Risk|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022203933/http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=38360|archive-date=22 October 2013|url-status = dead}}{{National Heritage List for England |num=1020776 |desc=Allerford packhorse bridge, immediately north of Cross Lane Farm|accessdate=5 April 2015}}

Allerford New Bridge which carries the A39 road past the village is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II* listed building.{{National Heritage List for England |num=1006197 |desc=Allerford new bridge|accessdate=5 April 2015}} It is also on the Heritage at Risk register because of the risks of vehicle damage and erosion.{{cite web|title=Allerford New Bridge, Luccombe / Selworthy, West Somerset - Exmoor (NP)|url=http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=40952|work=Heritage at Risk|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022203919/http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=40952|archive-date=22 October 2013|url-status = dead}}

The village is also home to Allerford House, childhood home of Admiral John Moresby, who explored the coastline of New Guinea and for whom Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea, was named. Other traditional sights in the village include thatched cottages, a forge and an old-fashioned red telephone box. There is also a Reading Room, built by the Acland family to foster adult education.

One of the thatched cottages operated as the local Primary School between 1821 and 1981 and is now a museum containing the West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School. The museum houses the West Somerset Photographic Archive.